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We're back again for every word from Mikel
Arteta's pre -Burnley presser. Mikel Arteta faced
the press ahead of our trip to Turf Moor to take
on Burnley in the Premier League. We are on a
run of eight straight wins in all competitions
and Mikel spoke about our form, taking on Scott
Parker's Burnley and much more. Mikel Arteta,
on any new injury news? No, I think we have the
same ones. Martinelli is still out. Saliba, we
have to wait and see. We have another training
session this afternoon and the rest are still
getting closer. I think in the right direction,
but not available yet. Mikel almost does this
every week. There's always a player who's touch
and go. This week, it seems to be... William
Saliba. Last week, it was Gabriel. My prediction
last week was it was my own games and that Gabriel
would be fine because of his aerial prowess.
However, this week, I'm going to say I think
Saliba will probably miss out. He might be on
the bench, but I think he'll opt with Christian
Mosquera. So I think the back four is going to
be Jurian Timber, Christian Mosquera, Gabriel
and Riccardo Calafiori. On the timeline for Gabriel
Martinelli, we don't know yet, but I think this
game is going to come too early for him. OK,
yeah, Martinelli, he ruled him out for midweek,
so obviously Martinelli is out for the Burnley
game. However, Slavia Prague's on Tuesday afternoon.
I don't think he'll be fit for that one, so you'll
probably be looking at the Sunderland game. At
best. On a timeline for Havertz, Madweke, Odegaard
and Jesus, I would say weeks and some of them
pretty soon, hopefully. If they keep evolving
the way they are, it's difficult to put a game,
you know? You know that we have the international
break, which is a two -week break there. And
after that, I think we'll have some back. I don't
know if it's going to be all of them, some of
them. but we'll be quite close by then. Okay,
cool. In terms of the likelihood for return,
I think Madueke is probably at the front of that
little list. Then I would say Odegaard, secondly.
And then I'll probably opt for... Oh, this is
interesting between Kai Havertz and Jesus, but
I mean, I'll probably say Peke Noda, Madueke,
Odegaard. Havertz than Jesus because Jesus looks
like he's back running and that but for him to
build up match fitness for him to be able to
kind of be fit enough and confident enough to
be back in the match day squad I think it's going
to take more time with Havertz he's probably
in the gym now probably back on grass and I feel
like he's closer to return than Jesus so yeah
just to reiterate Maduike Odegaard Havertz Jesus
On keeping the momentum going after eight straight
wins. Yeah, and maintain the level of urgency,
the concentration, the focus, the ambition that
we are showing every game. Every game brings
different challenges. Sometimes we have to be
very patient. Some other times we have to have
a different approach. The game against Burnley
is going to be really tough. They are extremely
well coached. I know Scott Parker really well
and what he's done with the club and with this
team. It's formidable. And when you look at all
the games that I see, five of the last games
that they played, a very, very tough team to
beat. Yeah, I mean, Burnley had a formidable,
almost impenetrable defensive record last season
in the championship. where I think they broke
records. They hardly conceded a goal all season.
However, this season, in the Premier League,
it's a different proposition for them, but they've
acquitted themselves really well. They've been
competitive in a number of games. They were unfortunate
against Liverpool at Turf Moor. It took a last
-minute penalty from Mohamed Salah to break them
down, really. So we know we can use that game
as a kind of... as president that we can't underestimate
them. We know they're going to be defensively
well -organised, well -structured, but we're
used to that. We come up against that pretty
much every week. You know, Atletico Madrid are
well -renowned for being a defensive wall and
we managed to break them down and discombobulate
them and end up winning 4 -0. So I think it's
a case of if we can get that early goal. If not,
stay patient. Maybe by the 60th, 70th minute,
we can throw more caution to the wind if it's
still level or if we're, for whatever reason,
trailing. But I think it's just we need to be
patient. I think patience is the key. Patience
and perseverance. And we should be all right.
On how competitive this season is, more than
ever, I think the level is increasing year after
year. Better structure, better organisation.
better decision -making from clubs, managers,
better players. So it tells you the difficulty
of that. When I look against the big teams, the
way the promoted clubs have behaved and how they
have all earned points or lost points, it's from
very small margins and that's the reality in
this league. I mean, a thing that Mikel loves
doing is, let's say, gassing up the opponents.
I personally don't think that the teams have
gotten better. I think... The teams at the bottom
have become more competitive, especially the
mid -range teams. They're more hard to beat.
Your Crystal Palaces, your Bournemouths, you
know, that sort of team, your Fulhams, they're
more rigid. They've got better players in their
ranks. However, the top clubs, I think, aren't
as... ahead of the others in a sense because
I think the game has become more of a chess match
almost every game is a chess match and teams
with low blocks it's usually invariably a team
against a low block and it's just a matter of
if you can break them down and low blocks are
really getting difficult to break down you know
so yeah I disagree with Mikel on that but in
a sense that yeah we're very tough side I think
The main reason we're doing so well is because
we're so defensively rigid and structured. And
we also have a high degree of control in most
games we play in. So those two factors now mean
that the main factor, the deciding factor is
if we can get a goal. Because if we do get a
goal, more often than not, we're winning games.
And yeah, that's why we've literally won probably
90 % of our matches this season. We've only not
won two games which were against last season's
champions in Liverpool and the team that finished
one place below us in third, Manchester City.
On if picking his team is the worst part of his
job, no, I cannot say that. It is the worst part
in terms of the decision with certain players
when you don't allow them to play, which is the
hardest part in our job. But they acknowledge
that as well. And at the end, when they make
decisions, some good, some bad. I'm not judging
every decision that they make. We cannot do that.
So the other way around, this cannot happen.
So at the moment, we are dealing with it in a
really positive way. And you can see the consequences
of that. And the impact that every player that
is not playing is having. And when they have
to play, the way they are performing. And you
only do that with good preparation and good mental
state. Yeah, I mean, I looked at the fixture
list in the calendar just earlier on. And I did
notice that we're effectively playing every three
days up until like the Christmas period. So we've
got games coming thick and fast in the Premier
League. We've got a little break. In terms of
the Carabao Cup. But it will be Premier League.
Then Champions League. And Premier League. Then
Champions League. So the games are coming thick
and fast. There's going to be injuries. There's
going to be players coming back from injuries.
There's going to be players in better form than
others. So I think a lot of players will get
a lot of game time. A player that springs to
mind. When game time is the subject. Is Ethan
Wanyeri. Obviously now he played well in midweek.
He's not going to start tomorrow. But he needs
to be ready. That's the key word. Myles Lewis
Skelly is another player that is close to the
first team. He needs to be ready. Christian Mosquera
is probably the closest to the first team in
the sense that he's probably the 12th player
in the squad. Well, arguably... between him and
Martinelli, to be fair, who was on good form
before his injury. So there's competition for
places which could only bode well for the team
going forward, especially as we go into a hectic
period of fixtures coming thick and fast. On
managing the disappointment of players who aren't
playing. Well, it's an education that you probably
get since you are young and you decide to play
football. You know that there are 11 players
playing and there are another 10 or 12 that are
not going to start the game. That doesn't mean
that they are not going to be important for the
team. So hopefully that's an education for all
of us. with the right coaches very early in our
careers. If I have to do that right now, obviously
it will be difficult and just try to do it with
an open heart, understanding that you care about
them and you want the best and they will have
their moments and then try to be as fair as possible
when you see a certain behaviour and that willingness
to play, giving them the opportunity to play.
Yeah, I think a buzzword that Mikel Arteta used
earlier on in the season was finishers. And also,
he's already alluded to the fact that during
the summer, he had a big meeting with all the
squad and essentially just explained to them
that it's going to be a long season. We're going
to have a lot of games, probably going to play
in a region of 60 fixtures. We've played around
15 so far. So you could say, you know, we're
about a quarter of the way through what we expect
to play kind of thing. So there's a lot of games
to play. There's going to be injuries. And if
you perform, you will get an opportunity. The
squad's at a higher level, a high standard. And
don't forget, just because you're not in a starting
line -up doesn't mean that the game state wouldn't
determine a player from the bench to need to
come on and change the game. For instance, Trossard's
done that. Martinelli's done that. And so on
and so forth. On if he's calmer on the sidelines.
Yeah, sometimes more than others. I think it's
the years. I think the trust and confidence that
you have in the team as well, in the work that
you do. Getting feedback, I think, is the best
thing for people that are very close in our job.
People that you know really, really well. What
is that coming from? Because sometimes it's a
way. I want my team to be very active and at
the same time, very creative and very disciplined.
And if you want the manager to be like that,
you cannot just be watching a game like this.
It's something that is the way I am. It's the
way I live the game. And I want the players to
live the game constantly with that body language.
And from there, you can always improve. Yeah,
obviously, Mikel has kind of mellowed slightly.
He's getting a bit older, you know, grey hair
starting to appear. But as we all do, we all
get old. But I feel like he's got more experience.
And obviously, if you have belief in the team,
And if you've set the right instructions from
the outset, then the essence of, you know, the
emphasis on having to kind of shout and go crazy
on the touchline is less. Obviously, the team
is playing really well, but Mikel being a perfectionist
and a micro analyst like myself, he's going to
kind of notice things that aren't apparent to
people, you know, that don't work within close
quarters of the players. So it's just important
for him to stay calm, as are the players, because
obviously the manager is a reflection of the
team. You don't want the manager going ballistic
every five minutes. However, there might be instances
where it does require him to kind of show some
passion, if you like. Arsene Wenger, he had a
different character. His style was more different.
It was more calm, composed. Whereas Arteta...
Probably a mixture. You could say he's a bit
of a reflection of the managers he used to play
for. A bit of Pep, a bit of Moyes, a bit of Arteta.
Sorry, a bit of Wenger. And obviously his styles
of play reflect the managers he played under
too. On who he turns to for feedback. A lot of
people. Some of them you know. And I cannot say
it here. But that's just that. The good and the
bad. All the ideas that they can bring to us
better. People that have a different perspective.
They're not with us every single day. And probably
that's the people that have a more clear picture
about looking at things with a different idea
or perspective to help us. Not only me, but all
the coaches and for sure the players as well.
I reckon one of the players, I reckon one of
the people is referring to Pep Guardiola. We
know that they're close and they speak every
day. Probably someone like Wenger as well, perhaps.
On if it's other managers, yeah, it can be other
sports, but you will know them. It's Guardiola.
On if every player is giving him something to
think about, well, that's what we want to create.
If you want to get the best out of all of them,
those standards have to be set in training. And
if you don't have that in training, it's very
difficult to replicate it during matches. So
it's the balance between the competition and
cooperation between the players as well to understand
their role on the day and what they have to do.
But I love that spirit. Okay, so basically no
then. Because if it was yes, he would have said
that. But he's saying he wants to create the
atmosphere where every player has a realistic...
chance of starting. But obviously, as you know,
we have certain players that are literally the
best in their world, in their position. People
like Timba, people like Rice, people like Gabriel,
Saliba, Saka, Raya, you know, five or six players
who are within the top two or three in their
position in the world. So anyone that's in the
squad, you know, in and around them. has their
work cut out to kind of oust them from the team.
However, that doesn't mean you can't play. It
doesn't mean you should drop your standards because,
you know, in training is where the manager can
see the attitude of the players on a daily basis.
So if you keep your attitude at a high level,
then who knows? You might get an unexpected start
when... Certain players need to rest. For instance,
Julian Timber might need a rest. He's come back
from a serious ACL injury recently. Ben White
needs to be on his toes. On Scott Parker calling
our side a well -oiled machine. I think we are
able to dominate a lot of aspects of the game.
We can, of course, improve in many of them still.
And that's a constant evolution as a team. But
the more resources and the more things we can
dominate throughout a game, especially in the
Premier League, the better chance we have to
win games. And yeah, I've already alluded to
the fact that we've got the defence and the defensive
structure on point. In terms of midfield, we
usually control the game. So that's on point
as well. Well, so if we're dominating most matches,
effectively, it's going to be a mistake or transition
that we're going to concede from. We usually
got a good shape behind the ball. We usually
win the ball back quite fast. And we've got players
that can defend well 1v1, especially to neutralise
transitions. People like Timba, as I say, every
week. People like Saliba, Gabriel and even...
Riccardo Calafiori has improved significantly.
I saw him up close and personal and he's improved
physically as well. It looks like he's been in
the gym quite a unit, definitely over six foot.
I'd say he's probably about 6 '1", 6 '2". And
he's definitely filling out. He's done some good
work physically. So even him being a physical
specimen, those four as a unit is arguably the
best I've seen in any Arsenal era. on the number
of fixtures in a season. Every decision that
we make in terms of a fixture has to be guided
on two main things. I think the players' welfare
and then supporters. That's it. And the rest
has to come very, very far away from that. And
we should never forget that principle. That's
the only thing I will say. Okay. Yeah, I did
allude to the fact that, obviously, Arteta has
said that he's had a meeting with the players
in pre -season to tell them that it's a long
season. Everyone's going to get game time. Not
one player is going to play all 60 games. Plus,
the strength of the squad allows and enables
Arteta to kind of make changes here and there.
So because we're playing every three days, what
I just mentioned is going to come into effect.
So obviously, what I'm going to presume is what's
been happening most of the season. Myles Lewis
-Skelly has been coming in for Champions League
games. Ricardo Calafiori has been having a breather
about playing at Premier League games. You might
even be able to put a Ben White in there as well,
who played in the Carabao Cup in midweek. Timber
comes in tomorrow. So I think he's just making
changes here and there. Obviously, William Saliba,
I've predicted, will be out tomorrow, but he
may play. Who knows? But obviously, it's just
about utilising the squad and keeping all the
players fit. especially going into the second
part of the season. We want our players fresh
in March, April, where that's the business end
of the season and where things get won. On if
teams will pull out of competitions in the future,
I hope we don't. If we have that big piece of
paper with those two principles there in front
of us before we make any decision, all of us
in our industry, we won't get there. If we don't
and we just ignore that, then anything is possible.
Well, I don't know about other clubs, but I just
certainly hope that Arsenal don't pull out of
any competitions because hopefully we can get
ourselves at least one. That's the bare minimum.
And hopefully two or more trophies this season
because I do think we're more than capable of
doing something really special this season. Really
special. On if this is a good opportunity to
win trophies. It's a big opportunity that we
have ahead of us, but we have to continue with
that level of consistency and we know how difficult
that is. Tomorrow is going to be an extremely
tough match for us and we're going to have to
hit those performance levels to win the game.
Yeah, I mean, it's just about guarding against
complacency and it's about patience and perseverance.
If we can put... three big ticks across those
factors, then we'll be all right. On managing
the expectations of our academy players, when
you're delivering good news, it's so easy and
it's so wonderful and you get an incredible reaction,
but we have to be prepared in our job to give
other kinds of news and messages. But we have
to be prepared in our job to give other kinds
of news and messages sometimes. It is for the
best for the team and maybe not for the best
for the individual. But you never know because
some decisions that at the time you think are
not good for you, they become the best decisions
for your career. And I've experienced that myself.
So take them, make the most of them and we'll
see what happens the next day. So yeah, Arteta
is obviously referring to the fact that he had
to leave Barcelona as a youngster. He had to
go out on loan to teams at PSG. He also went
to Rangers. From Rangers, he went to Everton.
From Everton, he made that big leap to Arsenal.
And here he is as the Arsenal manager. So if
Arteta is explaining to a young player that,
OK, he may not make it at Arsenal or he may not
make the squad, he can use himself as a reference
to say, but that doesn't mean you can't make
it. In football. So that's an important life
lesson for any young player out there. On players
calling the Emirates Stadium our house. That's
the way I feel it. Hopefully the way they feel
it as well. But to use that language, you really
have to feel it. You have to feel that when you
get there, your energy level, your desire to
defend your house, to threaten anybody that comes
very close to that, it has to be your mindset.
And if the players feel that and our supporters
feel that, I think we're going to be stronger.
Yeah, I mean, the Emirates feels like my second
house, you know. I know that place inside out,
literally inside out. I know every room in that.
I've been in every room in that stadium for various
reasons. So whenever I'm there, it just feels
like this is my house. So imagine the players
who are there pretty much every day. So anyone
that comes to infiltrate that, they have to be
banished. And I don't want us to lose a single
game this season there. Bayern Munich are coming
up soon. I'm going away from home. We go to a
different territory. Obviously, we use a different
language for that. But at the end, the purpose
and what we want to achieve in a game is very
similar. But the context changes because we're
in a different situation. Yeah, so obviously
Burnley Turf Mall is the first of three consecutive
away games. October was a month of home games.
We had five home games out of six. Now tomorrow
is the beginning of November. Where we also have
six games. Off the top of my head, we're playing
Burnley, Slavia, Prague, Sunderland. Then there's
an international break. Then we have Tottenham,
Bayern Munich and Chelsea. So it's a kind of
month well punctuated by the international break.
Went straight after it, thick and fast. We have
a big week coming up. We need to take things
step by step. We need to focus on these three,
you could say, lesser away games. Nonetheless,
we need to get our winning streak to 11 before
the international break. And I believe if we
have the right mindset and attitude, there's
no reason why we can't do that. On if players
could go on strike because of the fixture schedule.
Hopefully not. If we look after the players'
welfare and our supporters, I think we're never
going to get to that point and that's it. We
have to close the window there. We cannot open
that window. It has to be closed. It's our most
precious value. We have the best league in the
world and we cannot just open any window for
anything just to lose that because we don't respect
that. and we forget what we are made of and what
makes this game and this league so special. If
we respect that, I'm sure we're going to be totally
fine. Yeah, like I mentioned, there's games every
three days, plus there's another two international
games. So effectively, the players will be playing
up to eight games in November, and I'm pretty
sure they would have done the same in October
because there was also an international break
there too. So this is where the... strength and
depth comes to hand. And this is where I was
mentioning, and Arteta did say, that everyone's
going to get game time. It's for this reason
exactly. If someone goes down with an injury
or fatigue, the player that comes in doesn't
drop the level and standards of the injured player.
On hoping Nonny, Kai and Martin are back for
the North London Derby. I'm excited because they
are tremendous players. I see them work every
single day. How desperate they are to be part
of the team. The huge boost that is going to
be for the squad to have those players available
again after such a long time. I'm really happy
that I think it's going to be very soon. Yeah,
I think those are the three that are likely to
be back in contention coming up for that game.
If anything, I think Nani is probably the closest
and then Odegaard second. But hopefully Mikel
Arteta is just playing mind games and Kai Havertz
is closer to return than we think. On the impact
of academy players performing well and what it
has on the dressing room. Absolutely. And especially
when we talk about players that are starting
their careers because we've all been there and
that's something that I discuss with the players
and make sure that... When Andre Harriman -Anous
thinks about this day, he knows the exact date,
the team, the hour, who he played next to and
what exactly happened that day because that's
for the rest of your life. And we are all responsible
to make that day, that night, very, very special
for him. And the other fact, because you play
a cup that you are in or out. And if we want
to win every trophy and we want to be there,
we have to be ruthless in every competition in
order to achieve that. We are going to need any
player. And in order to do that, you have to
be at your best. And we have a lot of players
that play very few minutes. But on minute three,
Kepa made that save because every day he trains
like a beast. And that's not a coincidence. Yeah,
I mean, I did mention in the last press conference,
Arteta did get away with that. Making so many
changes meant that the squad wasn't used to playing
with each other. It was a bit rusty, a bit vulnerable
there. And Kepa did make a vital save. And then
also the second chance Brighton had in that first
half. We were lucky because we were staring down
the barrel. And it was unfortunate for them that
they missed the chance. However, sometimes you
need to ride your luck. I felt we did in that
first half. Towards the end of that first half,
we took... control of the game and then I think
when once you saw Saka, Calafiori, Zubamendi,
Declan Rice, Gabriel and so on so forth warming
up it was just a case of if we can kind of hang
in the game or if if not even take the lead then
those other players will see the game out and
that's exactly what happened and transpired on
sustaining the size of his squad I've been part
of that. When I was here at Arsenal, we had an
incredible squad. When I was at Manchester City,
and you could pick two or three players per position.
If you want to go to Chelsea or Liverpool when
they're winning, they all have it. We don't do
anything special. And thank God we have it because
we have five or six players out, big players
out. And we are having to use other kinds of
solutions as well. And a team remains competitive.
So very necessary. I don't think you get away
at that level with anything else other than that.
I mean, this is the first time I've seen Arsenal
such a song squad. When Arteta was there, I wouldn't
say the squad was strong like that. So I don't
know what he's talking about there. I think he's
having us on there. But yeah, in terms of having
such a strong squad, I think, yeah, it's clear
that this is the strongest squad in the league.
The summer's recruitment has been exceptional.
And it's just about making changes to be able
to cater for injured players, players with fatigue.
On if there's a solution to the fixture congestion.
No, probably it's not easy, but it has to be
doable because if we put something that is not
feasible, then what are we doing? So it's doable
for sure. So let's do it in the best possible
manner, respecting players and supporters. I
mean, I think we just have to get on with it.
Anything that comes our way, we're going to have
to deal with it, you know? I just don't want
any excuses because we've had excuses the last
few years, but I think this is the year where
it's just about winning in any context, as the
manager likes to say. On the confidence means
the squad feels unstoppable. No, because you
always have that sense of urgency and you see
the complications and the challenges that the
next opponent is going to bring you. We know
that every three days we have a very... We know
that every three days we have very little time
to train and prepare. We always have to be like
this. And I see everybody's on their toes, ready
for the next game and accepting that challenge
and understanding that the opportunity is there
as well. And if we do what we have to do, we
have a big opportunity to win a game. Yeah, I
mean, Arteta's essentially saying really that
if we kind of follow his instructions, you know,
in terms of tactically. we're going to win 90,
95 % of matches, you know, because even the Liverpool
game we should have won, the Manchester City
game we should have won for different reasons.
But we don't dwell on the past. I think we use
the past to make us stronger in the future. And
yeah, it's just about dusting yourself down and
going again. on when he thinks the title race
starts. For me, it's the very first day in pre
-season, trying to prepare the team and individuals
in the best possible way and go game by game
because it's going to be so long. I agree. It's
the marathon. Obviously, that's probably when
he had the meeting, getting the kind of players
in the right frame of mind, understanding, each
player understanding that it's a long, grueling
season. Everyone's going to get games. The substitutes
are not substitutes. They're finishers. And we
used all our experiences from the last three,
four years to kind of tailor it for this season
and understand that in any context, we've been
there before. So we've been leading, we've been
trailing. But ultimately and consequently, we
finished second invariably. So this time now,
we've got to use everything, all the negative
experiences and use it. to our advantage. On
if he encourages players to talk about winning
the Premier League, we have to focus on the journey
and what we have to do every single day. Fixing
the outcome, of course, we want to win it and
the preparation is towards that. Great. And we
have set all of the protocols, processes, ambitions,
everything. Now, you have to focus on what you
have to do. If not, you get distracted with the
rest and I don't want any of that around the
team. Yeah, I've noticed a few of the players
have, openly come out and said yeah they believe
that we can not only win the premier league but
win more trophies on trying to go one step further
in the premier league at the end you learn that
the margins to achieve it or not are many so
it can be that an opposition player is one -on
-one against the keeper and he scores that goal
you are the champion The other keeper saves it.
You are not the champion. It can be other injuries.
It can be other decisions. It can be a mistake.
It can be many factors that we cannot control.
What we can control is what we can do the best.
There are many factors that have to go your way.
You can do a lot of great things and still a
lot of things have to go your way. The injuries
and the players that you have to play and they
have to be there and their personal lives have
to be perfect because if not, it can unbalance
things. It's so many things. And it's so, so
long. And we've already seen the turnaround in
the league and going to the Champions League
is the same. Other leagues are the same. We're
in a really specific context at the moment. And
let's focus day by day. Well, to summarise that
long paragraph, he's clearly referred or referring
to Heung -Min Song's one -on -one against Manchester
City two seasons ago. Because had he scored that,
we'd have at least one Premier League title to
our name. But let's not dwell on that. Let's
win it this season. No. More to the point. Let's
beat Burnley tomorrow.